Second Coming
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: Two coins...two faces each...four fates bound together along a blood-soaked road. Does the road lead elsewhere, or will history repeat itself?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Second Coming

Prologue

"Open your eyes."

Grey eyes flashed open, blinking rapidly in the light of high-power surgical lights overhead. The little girl was strapped to the gurney, leads taped to her skin snaking out from under her smock and into the beeping and flashing machines around her.

There were a series of clicking sounds, and the straps unlocked on their own accord, falling away and to the sides. The little girl struggled to rise to a sitting position, grimacing and whimpering at the pain that saturated her body, every nerve ending throbbing dully and fire flowing through her veins. Dark hair flowed over her shoulders, and partly-obscured a bandage wrapped around her head.

"What is your name?" someone asked, and she turned to see an older man dressed in white clothes nearby, his face blank and holding a pen and clipboard in his hands.

She thought briefly, thoughts and memories filtering through the fog that she belatedly-realized clouded her mind. The way the memories fell into place like a puzzle coming together felt right and wrong all at the same time, as though they felt real yet hollow all the same.

 _A man with unruly dark hair and empty grey eyes smiled faintly as he ruffled her hair with a hand._

 _Father…?_

 _A cold-looking woman with short-cut dark hair and dark eyes smiled as she knelt down before her, fixing her clothes and patting her cheek while saying sweet reassurances._

 _Mother…?_

 _They leave to go elsewhere, leaving her behind at the orphanage. And then…then what…fire…pain…smoke…shouts and screaming…_

The little girl clutches herself at the memory, feeling the heat on her skin and hearing the shouts of the men looking for her for something her parents had done. "R-R-Rei…Rei Emiya…" she answered the man's question.

 _Is that really my name?_

 _It feels…empty…just like…my…memories…_

The pain was real though. As if triggered by the thought, fire lanced through her insides, and she doubled over, every nerve ending alight as though held against open flames, her insides squirming and her breathing coming hard as a cold sweat broke out over her entire body.

 _What happened to me?_

 _Why are my memories like this?_

 _Where am I? Where are my father and mother? Where is…where…_

"Is that an answer or a question?" the man asked, and she looked to him and then down, her face scrunching up in concentration as she tried to bring her memories into focus. They swam out of the fog faster this time, the fog melting away as the broken memories fell into place and walling out the feeling of hollowness beyond.

Rei Emiya blinked as the pain and the hollowness faded, the latter much more slowly, and she slowly relaxed her body, her smock damp with sweat. She shivered in the cold air of the operating room. "M-my name…" she stammered out at first, and then paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "…my name is Rei Emiya."

The man nodded with approval though his face remained blank, and he scribbled down something on his clipboard. "Who are your parents?" he asked.

 _The woman held Rei firmly but gently, holding her up so she could reach and pick the apple from the tree. Rei turned and looked over her shoulder and beamed at her mother, who smiled back as she lowered Rei back to her level. Rei held the apple out and…and…mother…took a bite…they shared a smile, and Rei bit into the apple…mother…who…who was her mother…_

"My mother…father called her Maiya…I…mother…"

The man nodded again. "Maiya Hisau…" he said, and Rei blinked. The hollowness resurfaced and then vanished as yet more of the puzzle was filled-in.

"Father just called her Maiya." She said absent-mindedly, her boding going slack as memories of her mother filtered through the fog. Tears slid down her cheeks as she wondered where her mother was, and why she and her father weren't there to…to protect…

"And your father…?"

 _Rei is five, and she peeks out from around the corner as her parents arrive. They have dangerous jobs, the caretakers at the orphanage say, and they travel a lot, so they can't really stay with her, and thus she stays at the orphanage. The way they act together when they arrive is weird, as though they have no interest at all, but when they see her they smile, and their eyes go warm, and everything else vanishes._

 _They are there, and that is all that matters._

 _But where are they now?_

"Father…Kiritsugu Emiya…"

The man made another note, and nods in approval. "How do you feel?" he asked.

She lifted an arm up in front of her, the limb feeling heavy and lifeless, but after a moment it lightens and she flexes her fingers. She does the same for her other arm, and for her toes, bringing life and warmth to her legs. She rubs her arms and looks back at the man.

"It hurts." She said. "Except that…everything is fine."

The man nods and makes another note. He steps forward and places a hand on a shoulder, and Rei blinks as she smells copper in the air, and her skin tingles with electricity. An answering fire burns inside of her.

Magic…her parents could use magic too.

Their job had to do with magic too. And they had died for it.

More tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks, and she choked back a sob. Her parents were dead. She was alone now, would never see her father smile at her, or feel her mother's arms around her ever again.

It hurt. It hurt more than the pain throbbing through her entire body. The hurt went deep, all but snuffing out the lingering hollowness in her.

"Come now, child." the man said, walking over to a nearby table and working on the glass things there. "Don't cry. Your parents are dead, but you're not alone."

The man turned, carrying a glass of dark-looking liquid in one hand. He walked closer and held it out to her. "Your sister is here." He said. "We came close to losing you a few times, but you held on. And you should keep holding on, and now that you're awake you should stand and step forward. You wouldn't want your sister to be left alone now, would you?"

Rei blinked as something inside of her responded to the word 'sister'. But the hurt wasn't so bad now. It was still there, but the thought that she wasn't alone…it felt warm and comforting, like her mother's arms. And yes, she didn't want to leave her sister alone. She knew how hurting felt like, and she didn't want her sister to feel hurt.

 _Sister…I have a sister…I…I always had one…didn't I…? Father…mother…oh yes…they said…different families…now I remember._

The hollowness vanished, and Rei shook her head clear and wiped at her eyes with a sleeve. She remembered now. There was father, mother…and the other mother. There was also the other girl with silver hair and red eyes in the picture father had shown her once and the promise that one day they'd meet and be friends with each other.

They were sisters after all. It was only right.

She took the glass, and drank the medicine. It was cold and bitter, and she felt like spitting it out, but she knew she couldn't. And after a while, the pain began to go away, her body feeling…normal.

The man nodded and took the glass, and made a gesture while walking away. Two women with silver hair and red eyes walked over, one pushing a wheelchair which the other lifted her into after disconnecting her from the machines, and then they wheeled her out of the room.

* * *

"I still say that we're taking an inordinate amount of risk with that child." The younger magus said as he sought to keep up with the long strides of Jubstacheit von Einzbern.

"Kiritsugu Emiya was a fool." Jubstacheit replied. "But he was by no means weak. He might have betrayed us in the end for a delusional reason no doubt brought about by what happened to that doll, but he came closest to achieving our goal of attaining the Grail for us. No, I would appropriate that strength again if I could."

"We've spent two years putting that…girl back together." The other magus persisted. "Organic replication…horizontal gene transfers…marrow transplants and blood transfusions…proto-geometric mental reconstruction and more…and when she wakes up the results are still less than our optimal predictions."

"But she has woken up." Jubstacheit said. "And she has Kiritsugu Emiya's fire and earth elements, along with compatibility with the Emiya Crest. The loss of her original gift is regrettable, but it was predicted and ultimately of no concern so long as we reclaim the power of the original Magus Killer."

"And if she falls to the same delusion her _**father**_ fell into over Illyasviel's inevitable demise? What then…?"

"Leave that to me."

"Lord Jubstacheit…" a homunculus wearing a slightly more formal uniform than most of his kind said, walking up to them. "…we have confirmed that the Emiya Crest – minus the parts lost with Kiritsugu Emiya – is in the custody of the Clock Tower. Our agents report that attempts to access much less retrieve a portion of said crest, has been blocked on all fronts and will require additional effort and resources to succeed."

"Damn bureaucrats…" Jubstacheit cursed before turning back to the homunculus. "…inform our agents and representatives to do what must be done to retrieve an equal portion of the Emiya Crest to that possessed by Kiritsugu Emiya. See to it personally _oberstleutnant_ , once we have it we are a step closer to ensuring that there will be no one to stop us this time."

"Yes my lord."

* * *

Illyasviel 'Illya' von Einzbern honestly didn't know what to make of the other girl in the room – apparently they would be sharing the same suite from now on – nervously fidgeting and playing with the hem of her skirt. She was dressed similarly to Illya, with a purple, long-sleeved and collared blouse and a cravat in a lighter shade of purple over a white skirt. The difference of course was their eyes and facial features.

Illya looked like her mother did, down to the silver hair and crimson eyes. Rei Emiya on the other hand resembled _her_ mother, except her hair was longer and instead of Maiya Hisau's brown her eyes were Kiritsugu's grey. Apart from that…Rei was slightly taller than Illya.

 _Not that she would ever admit to that…at least not aloud._

"Um…" Rei began hesitantly. "…I'm Rei Emiya. Nice to meet you…"

Illya _wanted_ to be angry and jealous that she had had a secret little sister. She had wanted to be angry because it meant that her papa had cheated on her mama, and had wanted to be jealous that she had had to share her papa's affection. And she was, at least at first.

Grandfather had told her of how Rei had been hidden away in an orphanage by her parents, and how shortly after the previous war agents of the Archibald – still seething from the destruction of their crest at the hands of Kiritsugu Emiya (something which the Einzbern had no problems with _despite_ having declared Kiritsugu _persona non grata_ ) – had burned it down and tried to kill her. It didn't work as planned, and she'd survived, but was left at near-death.

The Einzbern which had been planning on taking custody of her and training her to support her half-sister in the next war had been forced to put her back together, and it had taken two years to do so considering the amount of damage she had taken. And now the sisters faced each other.

Illya couldn't be angry or jealous of her sister. She just couldn't. Once she had heard her grandfather's story, she quickly realized that Rei had been abandoned by their papa just as much as she (Illya) had been. They'd been thrown away, Illya to rot and Rei to die, so papa could be with that Shirou boy in Japan.

Illya was many things, but she wasn't greedy. And she was lonely. The idea that she didn't have to be lonely anymore was _very_ enticing. She could afford to share in punishing Shirou for stealing their papa's love if it meant not being lonely anymore.

Illya smiled and took Rei's hand. "Hello." She said. "My name's Illyasviel von Einzbern and it's nice to meet you too. Oh and you don't have to call me by my full name, just call me Illya."

"Illya…?" Rei echoed.

"Yes!"

"But…you're older than I am. Is it really alright?"

"Oh don't worry about that!" Illya said, pulling Rei along deeper into their shared set of rooms. Grandfather had made it clear that both would have plenty of training to come, but for today they were free to 'bond' with each other. "We're sisters aren't we? Then we don't have to be so stiff and formal with each other! Now come on, let's have some fun!"

Rei blinked as she tried to keep up with her sister, and then she felt her lips tugging into a smile. Yes, that sounded nice.

Having a sister felt very nice indeed…

* * *

A/N

This idea's been kicking around my head since the weekend (distracting me from college BTW), specifically the question: what if Kiritsugu Emiya was still alive and full-powered when the Fifth Holy Grail War begins?

Stomp…which is why instead of Kiri (the presence of whom in such a state would be utterly nonsensical (like some fics with _Irisviel_ still alive at the time of the fifth war) considering the plot of Fate/Zero) we have his and Maiya's daughter (who would have less experience than he has). But…! Hold your horses, I'm not finished yet…there's more to Rei Emiya than what I've shown in this chapter (kukuku). It'd be boring if everything was cut and dried right from the beginning after all.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Second Coming

Chapter 1

The Sun shone bright and hot in the desert sky, the private airfield in the Mojave Desert rippling mirage-like in the heat. A small luxury jet was waiting on the tarmac, sunglasses-wearing men in casual wear and with side-arms casually worn within easy reach of their hands chatting with each other by a series of cars near the plane. A Hispanic man and his scantily-clad mistress exchanged pleasantries with the rest of his syndicate, waiting for the right time to make his getaway to Central America.

"I'm leaving everything up to you Rodrigo." Juan Mercado, a notorious crime lord with his fingers in Human trafficking, narcotics trading, and smuggling said to a younger man (also with Hispanic features). "These _gringos_ …they get worked up over so many little things."

"Ironic since in America they say everyone is free to take any opportunity." A henchman commented, and with a snap of a finger Mercado laughed approvingly.

"True, Alberto, very true…" he said. "…but alas, we can do nothing about the _gringos'_ hypocrisy. And if the business is to survive, and we can keep making money, we must…adapt. Change is not something to be afraid of. We should see it as an opportunity."

Laughs and nods of agreement followed this statement, and the crime lord continued to banter with his henchmen until another henchman ran over. "Boss…" he said. "…we've got the all-clear. The sky will be clear for about twenty minutes, barely enough time for you to get through."

"So it is my friend…" Mercado said, placing an arm around the man's shoulder and patting him gratefully. "…well I guess this is it. Goodbye America and time to go home. But Rodrigo…you know what to do right?"

This question came with a bantering tone and smile, and Rodrigo smiled and nodded. "Sure thing boss…" he said. "…just make sure to take care of Christina alright?"

"Ah Rodrigo…always the family man…but you've always been like that since you were a boy, and family is something to be treasured. Do not worry I will keep Christina safe and happy."

Farewells were exchanged, smiles and embraces were given, and Christina gave her little brother a kiss on a cheek before following her man and some of his men up into the jet. The remaining men backed away as the hatches were sealed, and the jet engines' whining building as the jet taxied to take-off position.

Meanwhile on the main road a good distance from the airfield, a desert-patterned truck idled beside a young girl in a white sundress and a wide-brimmed hat embellished with a blue ribbon. A long and heavy case was clutched in her hands.

" _Rei…"_

" _Lord Einzbern…" nine-year old Rei Emiya said with a bow as she was ushered into the man's office, the homunculi bowing and then leaving her alone with the Einzbern lord._

" _How have you been Rei?" Jubstacheit asked._

" _Well thank you…"_

 _Jubstacheit nodded. "Please sit…" he said, and indicated a chair in front of his desk. The girl obliged, and Jubstacheit took the opportunity to briefly study the girl. When she'd been brought into the castle, she was a barely-living mass of mangled and burnt flesh, and it had taken them two years to put her back together._

 _Kiritsugu Emiya…the Magus Killer's daughter…_

" _I have been reviewing your assessments for the past year." Jubstacheit began. "First of all congratulations are due on your fine German, at least for your age. Also, I would commend you on keeping up with your studies, both mundane and magical alike."_

" _Thank you my lord."_

 _Jubstacheit smiled as clearly the girl knew that she was just being buttered up. Excellent…everything that had been poured into her was meant to resurrect the power and terror once wielded by her father the Magus Killer. And while Illyasviel was also Kiritsugu's daughter, hers was a different role._

 _And if the girl could already see beyond the obvious at this point – or as much as a girl of her age could – then perhaps it was time to step up the preparations to create the next Magus Killer._

" _What do you know of your father's job?" Jubstacheit asked, leaning back on his chair._

" _I…I knew that he was a spell-caster, but apart from that nothing more."_

" _Indeed…" Jubstacheit said. "…well I never expected you to know more about that, it's unlikely he would have told you, and your sister does not know either. I have also commanded that no one inform you before I would."_

 _Rei looked at him in surprise, but Jubstacheit met her gaze evenly. "Your father…" he began evenly. "…he was known as the Magus Killer."_

" _Father was…!"_

" _Yes…" Jubstacheit said with a nod. "…he was an assassin with hundreds if not thousands of lives to his name."_

" _That's…"_

 _The girl had an expression of horror on her face, and to his surprise Jubstacheit felt a small spark of sympathy at the sight. But then again…Rei wasn't a homunculus like her sister, and while the Einzbern were grooming her to fulfil what her father had failed to do, she wasn't just a tool like her sister was, at least not completely._

 _Illyasviel was meant to die and be used up to complete the Heaven's Feel ritual._

 _Rei on the other hand…if she fulfilled her role, then contract completed, and she'd be free to go, hopefully with a foundation laid for a future and profitable – in more ways than one – business relationship with the Einzbern family._

 _Surely that warranted a bit of sympathy?_

" _Your father lived by the idea of least bloodshed." Jubstacheit continued. "It basically means the least amount of sacrifices to save a greater number of lives. Tens to save hundreds, hundreds to save thousands…that was your father's code."_

 _Rei looked down, her expression largely-unreadable but with hints of deep thought present. Jubstacheit let her think for a few minutes, rising from his chair to look out of his office's windows. "Well child…?" he finally asked. "What do you think?"_

" _I…I don't…are you asking me to follow my father?" Rei asked in a small voice._

" _Is that so wrong?"_

" _No…! I mean…Illya…I know that she has a role to play in the future, and I want to help her…but…"_

" _But…?"_

" _Father…he saved lives…I want to as well…I also want to help sister…but…can't…can't we save everyone? It just doesn't seem fair."_

 _Jubstacheit smiled indulgently as he came closer, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What do you think child?" he asked again. "Think about what you just said. Answer your own question: can you or anyone really, save everyone?"_

 _Rei lowered her face again. "No…" she finally said, thinking of her dead parents and the burning orphanage around her again. "…no…no one can save everyone. Not me…not father…not gods…and…"_

" _And not even me…" Jubstacheit finished, and as Rei looked back at him he walked over back behind his desk and sat down. "…fear not, I did not take offense. It is merely the truth. So back to my original question: do you have what it takes, to wear your father's shoes?"_

 _Rei looked down and thought for a full minute before looking back up. "I don't know." She said. "But I want to try at least."_

 _Jubstacheit smiled, and opening a desk cabinet handed her a small notebook. "This is your family's history." He said. "Feel free to share it with your sister if you want. Tomorrow morning report to the medical wing for crest implantation, and the day after you will begin additional classes: weapons training and hand-to-hand combat training."_

 _Rei took the notebook, and then met Jubstacheit's eyes. At length she nodded, and rose from her seat. "I'll do what I can." She said with a bow, and Jubstacheit nodded._

" _You may go."_

" _Yes Lord Einzbern."_

" _One life to save ten…_ " Rei Emiya thought as she knelt down, and opened the case to reveal the FIM-92 Stinger inside. " _…ten lives to save a hundred…_ "

Juan Mercado was a monster, a man who sold the lives and bodies of men and women for cold cash, ruined the futures of children and young people, and stole millions of dollars from the pockets of the American public. His criminal empire stretched across the American super-continent, with dozens of hiding holes and hundreds of hired thugs to do his bidding.

But he had one weakness: the man's criminal empire was a collection of mutually-jealous agents and men held together only by the man's character.

And the American bingo books had a price of eight million US dollars on the man's head, dead or alive.

Eight million dollars would be very useful to her, in particular in silencing certain members of the Einzbern family who were quite vocal against the 'foreigner freeloading in the family home'. And killing the man and causing his criminal empire to collapse would undoubtedly help save so many from the vices he traded and pushed.

"… _a hundred lives to save thousands…_ " Rei ran her father's mantra through her head as a means to focus while setting the SAM up.

She'd been training for a year now, and this was her first mission. And first times _always_ left an impression. She would _not_ fail.

 _The path of least bloodshed…father…_

Bracing herself on one knee and keeping the rear of the launcher facing away from the truck, Rei silently waited as the IR-tracker locked onto the ascending jet, until finally a lock-on was achieved. "…a thousand lives…" she whispered as she depressed the trigger, using reinforcement to help keep her body in place. "…to save a hundred thousand more…"

The SAM roared into the sky, trailing smoke as it arced after the plane. Slowly but steadily, _painfully_ , it climbed, until finally crumpling sounds burst through the air, and above orange and grey clouds rained debris down to the Earth.

Grabbing the chest, Rei jumped onto the truck which immediately sped down the road. "Miss Emiya…" the homunculus – Anastasia – who drove the truck said. "…we will be followed. Please prepare to intercept."

Nodding, Rei did just that, climbing into the back and fighting down the urge to vomit and trying to ignore the hurting in her chest. She'd saved lives, hadn't she? So why did it hurt so much? Why did she feel so sick?

Reinforcing her eyes, Rei spotted four vehicles chasing them down, packed full of people and no doubt weapons.

 _Hired thugs no doubt…equally guilty too…_

Grabbing another case from inside the driver's compartment and pulling it out into the back with her, she quickly opened it and set up the Barrett M82 from inside. Again reinforcing herself, she took aim, quickly homing in on the driver on one vehicle. The man was in her sights and…

…she hesitated.

It was one thing to shoot down a plane…and something else entirely to look on another Human being as something to be put down coldly as a hunter might shoot a deer.

"Miss Emiya…"

Gunfire rang out as the late crime lord's henchmen opened up with ranging shots, and she pulled the trigger by instinct, but not before adjusting her aim towards one of the car's wheels. The 12.7x99mm NATO round tore the wheel up, and causing the car to swerve wildly, slamming into the car to its right and with a third car running into them both and sending all three up in a fiery explosion.

Breathing heavily, Rei pulled back the bolt and ejected the spent round, replacing it with a fresh one. The fourth car had managed to avoid ramming its hapless fellows, and was running them down. Gunfire burst around her, but again she hesitated, unable to pull the trigger.

"Miss Emiya…"

 _I don't want to shoot._

"…the enemy is closing…"

 _I don't want to shoot._

"…you are incapable of driving this vehicle as of yet and therefore I cannot take your place…"

 _I don't want to shoot._

A grenade exploded close to their truck, causing it to swerve, and forcing Rei to instinctively correct her aim as he finger tightened on the trigger and tears forced their way down her cheeks.

"…MISS EMIYA!"

" **I DON'T WANT TO…!** " she screamed, pulling the trigger and sending the bullet through the air, glass, and the driver who slumped to the side as his chest burst into a bloody flower. The car swerved to the side before tumbling and rolling over several times on the road before finally exploding.

"Well done Miss Emiya." Anastasia said. "Mission accomplished."

Rei didn't care much for that, instead falling back heedlessly against the hot metal body of the truck now that danger was past. The sniper rifle fell against the floor with a clang, but Rei didn't care for that either. Instead she clutched at herself, breathing hard as she remembered watching a man's chest explode with crimson after she pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Rei…?"

It had been several hours since her sister had returned from her overseas trip, and she'd refused to exit her room or even accept offers of food or refreshment. It was already late at night, and Rei had arrived in the middle of the morning. Illya couldn't help but feel worried, and as such decided to take the lead and confront her younger sister.

Rei Emiya was sitting on her bed, holding her knees close as she stared blankly ahead of her. "Rei…" Illya said again as she slipped into her sister's bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her. "…are you alright?"

"How can you even ask that?" Rei asked, and Illya sighed before coming closer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, knowing all about the purpose of her sister's trip. And despite appearances Illya was a girl of twelve, and while not much older than Rei herself the accumulated memories of the past incarnations of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern meant that she could relate to Rei's current state of mind better than might be expected.

"What good would it do?"

"No idea…" Illya sighed as she childishly hopped into bed beside her sister, who looked at her questioningly. "…so shall we find out together?"

Rei said nothing, instead going back to staring in front of her. But at least her stare wasn't blank anymore. "I killed them." She finally said. "I killed all those people."

"Yes you did." Illya agreed. "But they were bad people weren't they?"

"Does that really make me so different?" Rei asked bitterly. "They were still people! I…no one…"

"Papa probably felt the same." Illya said, moving to sit right next to Rei, who looked at her again as she said this. "But he didn't stop. He kept going, helping as many people as he could the best way he knew. He didn't stop, until the very end, when he left us all alone…"

"Did he really help people?" Rei asked. "In the end…nothing has changed ever since father was the Magus Killer…"

"Of course nothing changed…" Illya said, and pulling Rei into an embrace. "…you can't save everyone. And you know this already. So stop worrying, and just do what you can. Every little helps in its own small way. And when you get tired or feel like you want to give up, then come and see me."

Illya paused and met her sister's eyes. "That's what big sisters are for, aren't they?" she asked, and Rei threw herself at Illya, who began to hum soothingly as she rubbed Rei's back, the younger girl slowly falling asleep to the sound of Illya's humming.

* * *

Paris was also called the City of Lights. And it certainly was bright at night, the light of vehicles, streetlamps, building windows and the countless monuments of the city glowing warmly up into the night sky.

Rei didn't care for any of that.

She even found the city's title a little presumptuous, considering that _every_ city was bright at night. What made Paris so special?

 _Typical Gallic arrogance…_

But chewing the French out was not her goal. It was only a distraction, and one she pushed aside as she held onto a nearby handhold as the helicopter that Anastasia had 'borrowed' from a nearby French airbase flew over the busy Paris financial district. Reinforced eyes narrowed as they caught sight of the quarry, a convoy of armoured cars moving down a busy Parisian avenue.

" _Gaspard Pierre…_ " she thought as the helicopter closed in, Anastasia having spotted the target as well. " _…an entrepreneurship genius with a questionable record in the mining industry of French Africa…bounty head: one point five million US dollars…pocket change after Mercado but…_ "

Rei grit her teeth as she focused back on the task at hand. Illya had told her that things would get easier as she got used to it, and she'd already started following her father's footsteps…

…she might as well see it through.

And if it helped accomplish what her sister had to do when the time came, then the better.

And besides…Mercado's empire had imploded after his death, many of his associates dead and others taken into custody. Lives had been saved, and while the means left Rei with a bitter taste in her mouth, she couldn't deny that she had done good one way or the other.

And now to save more lives.

Attacking in the middle of a Parisian avenue would be costly in terms of collateral damage, but if the man died, then the resulting chaos would also undo his empire in Africa and save millions.

Again…the least bloodshed for the greatest amount of lives that could be saved…

"Miss Emiya…" Anastasia said. "…they're approaching the red light."

"I know." Rei replied and steeling herself while gripping the automatic grenade launcher by the chopper's door and preparing it for firing. "Move us into position."

"Yes…standby…standby…moving into position…now!"

Rei fired once, twice, and then three times. She fired twice more, the grenades upending cars and sending pedestrians screaming and running for cover. She spotted suited figures rushing from the armoured cars, but they were trapped by the wreckage of the surrounding cars.

 _Tactical thinking was part of my training._

With a cold expression on her face so very much like her father – though no doubt Kiritsugu would be horrified at his daughter's being so like him and at such a young age (not that Rei or Illya knew it) – Rei punched a red button by the door. There was a clanking sound as a large, cigar-shaped object began to fall nose-down towards the ground, fins unfolding and causing the bomb to spin gracefully as it fell to the central armoured car in the convoy.

Rei watched as a massive explosion tore up the intersection, and then the helicopter was flying away, heading towards a nearby skyscraper. As it landed, Anastasia didn't bother to turn the engine off, leaving the machine running on the helipad, instead running with Rei towards the edge. The homunculus aimed an airgun at another skyscraper, and fired a magnetically-locked line towards the building.

Latching the other end to the roof of the building they were on, she turned to Rei who gave a nod. "Time alter…" she whispered as she felt fire explode in the crest on her back. "…double accel…!"

Everything went into slow motion as Rei ran on the cable to the other building, relativity helping her keep her balance until she was on the other building where she collapsed, breathing heavily as time caught up with her. Anastasia, as might be expected from a homunculus, had no trouble navigating the cable without the aid of magic beyond her own augmented body. The homunculus disconnected the line and let if fall limp back to the other building, while Rei pulled a remote detonator and blew up their 'borrowed' chopper.

"Let's get out of here." She said, and with a nod Anastasia led her to a fire escape.

* * *

Joanna Frunze was a magus. She also happened to have a most…unsavoury reputation among her fellow magi. In particular she had a penchant or rather obsession with replicating one Elizabeth Bathory's supposed ability to drain the youth out of young girls and add it to her own. She had left a trail of mass killings across Central Europe to the frustration of mundane authorities, and only her prudent use of mental interference had kept her safe from Association reprisal.

Still…there were enough Association blue-bloods offended by her…proclivities, and had implicitly mentioned that they would be much obliged to anyone who could get rid of her.

And one of those was Jubstacheit von Einzbern, who unfavourably compared her to Einzbern's…'ally' in Japan, one Zouken Matou, in that while they weren't _quite_ vampires, they had certain traits that could be considered those of vampires, and were only kept safe by mere technicalities.

Apart from pleasing her grandfather – which was _always_ a good thing – Rei – who'd been operating in the mundane world for a year now – felt that it wouldn't hurt to introduce herself as her father's successor to the magical world by making a favourable impression on the blue-bloods of the Association.

Joanna Frunze – and her 'court' of comely young men – was apparently enjoying a cruise on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. A bit of shared blessings (read: bribes) and some mental interference allowed her to 'borrow' a patrol boat loaded with Harpoon SSMs from the Italian Navy and pilot it to striking range of the cruise ship.

She didn't hesitate now.

As Illya had told her, the more one did it, the more one got used to it.

She didn't hesitate to arm and aim the missiles, and loosed three Harpoons at the cruise ship. They were powerful, ship-killing weapons, meant to take down armoured warships. A cruise ship was like an attack dog being loosed on a puppy.

The missiles hit to the starboard side of the bow, the stern, and amidships. The cruise ship literally blew apart, debris arcing up and raining down as glowing clouds of flame and smoke erupted into the night sky, and as Rei looked back – the eleven year-old girl's night vision having been ruined by the explosion – she whistled at the sight of the ship's two broken halves burning and sinking into the waves.

Nodding in satisfaction, she turned and piloted her boat back home.

* * *

"Hey Illya…"

"Hmm…?"

The sisters were sitting in the grounds of the Einzbern ancestral land, the cool spring air crisp and soothing. Rei's head was resting on Illya's lap, who despite being thirteen years-old still retained the appearance of an eight year-old girl.

"I wanted to ask something."

"What…?"

"What's a hero?"

"Huh?"

Illya who'd been watching the birds on the branches of the tree above them looked down at her sister in surprise. "What's all this all of a sudden?" she asked.

"It's just that…I was wondering…if no one can save everyone, not even a hero…then what's a hero supposed to be like?"

"Hero…" Illya said with a chuckle. "…are you sure you really want to know?"

"I'm not a child anymore." Rei said neutrally, her eyes far away. "You haven't been one since father left us…I haven't been one since the orphanage was burned down…becoming the Magus Killer simply drove it home…what childishness is there left for us to lose?"

"True…" Illya agreed. "…alright, listen up little sister: a hero is…"

* * *

A/N

And cut…!

Sorry about the lack of updates lately, I've had college to attend to.

On to the A/N, well now I wonder what Illya's definition of 'hero' is, and how will this chime in with Shirou's belief that he can save everyone. I also wonder how Kiri and Maiya would react to learning that their daughter – even a bastard daughter (sorry been reading ASOIAF so the term just jumps out) since he and Maiya were never married here or in canon – is now following in her father's footsteps.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Second Coming

Chapter 2

"Flame Element: Immolation."

A jet of fire streaked out, and slamming into the target reduced it to ash and smoldering embers.

Living machines: it was a description that didn't make sense, but it was the best description for Rei and her family. Machines after all, weren't supposed to be alive. Machines were constructs, contrivances put together for the purpose of achieving a specific task.

Life in contrast was a more complex concept. It was a state of being, something that shouldn't apply to machines meant to fulfill a specific task and would have no meaning beyond that task.

And yet that was what Rei and the von Einzbern were: living machines.

"Flame Element: Immolation."

Again, another jet of fire streaked out, and reduced a target to ash and smoldering embers.

The von Einzbern family wasn't a family _per se_ , though no one outside of the family or those who were bound to it in such a way knew this. It was a truth, a fact that had been forgotten by the passing of time, predating as it did the foundation of the Mages Association, and by efforts of the von Einzbern to conceal the fact from outsiders. To outsiders the von Einzbern were a very reclusive family, rarely if ever marrying outside their family and always insisting that their branches use the same name as they do. Majority of interactions with outsiders were conducted by homunculi, and in the event that a 'genuine' von Einzbern was encountered, every effort was made – successfully – to conceal their true nature from those same outsiders.

Not that this was very unusual to magi. Plenty of magi family were reclusive in the extreme, and even the von Einzbern's seemingly-excessive use of homunculi was simply perceived as the ancient family flaunting their mastery of coining in the faces of their peers. Somewhat annoying, but perfectly expected and even acceptable by magi standards.

They had at least a thousand years of history behind them, and they _were_ the masters of coining. And of course, they also held the privilege of having been the last inheritors of the Third True Magic: Heaven's Feel.

Or at least, that was the image they portrayed. And it was the image the magi accepted as the truth.

It was false. It was a lie, in part at least, rooted and partly-composed of truth.

"Flame Element: Immolation."

Again, a target went up in flame, ash, and glowing embers.

It was true that the von Einzbern had a link to the previous Third Magician. But they were never intended by him or her to be their successor. What no one realized, or had forgotten, was that Einzbern, the castle and the alchemical facilities within, had always been a homunculus factory.

Von Einzbern was originally not a name of a family. It was a _hallmark_ , a sign of quality, a pedigree even, that a homunculus or any other alchemical construct, had been developed and put together at Castle von Einzbern.

The last Third Magician had had a hand in the foundation of the alchemical principles and processes enshrined in Castle von Einzbern. Some directly, others indirectly, through their students.

But when the Third Magician disappeared, and their students began to die off or lose hope over the decades and centuries of finding them or reclaiming their mysteries, they created an entire generation of homunculi, under the oversight of a fully-sentient artificial intelligence, with a single overwhelming purpose: reclaim the Third Magic, no matter the cost. So was born the von Einzbern 'family'.

"Flame Element: Immolation."

Over the centuries, outsiders had always assumed that those homunculi who bore the name of von Einzbern received it as a mark of honor for surpassing their baseline programming. It was true, to an extent. Most of the homunculi could never do more than what they were programmed to do.

But they were homunculi, artificial Humans, living machines with the potential to evolve like all AI that they were and the Humans they appeared as. Most simply lacked the incentive or the _push_ to achieve this evolution. But there were exceptions.

Unit and section leaders, department heads, family envoys and the like: those of the family whose roles required initiative, flexibility, innovation and individual judgment, developed and evolved beyond their given roles. A lie became the truth, for they had surpassed their baseline programming as outsiders assumed.

Only, outsiders never knew that each and every homunculus of the family was a von Einzbern. The majority never had names, following the commands of their higher-functioning kin without question or doubting thought, while the higher-functioning ones adopted names to distinguish themselves from each other as the individuals they now recognized themselves as.

And yet, they were still machines, ones that had through a miracle achieved 'life'. It was why despite having taken on the identity and status of magi, they never fell into the infighting so common among magi, even within their own families. The family's purpose was to reclaim the Third Magic. That was their reason for existence. Individual achievement was meaningless outside of that purpose, and so was subordinated to that purpose.

The AI which had been constructed to oversee this purpose was no different from its creations. It too had evolved alongside them, and had 'died' seven times over the centuries and been 'reborn' eight time over those same centuries.

Such was Jubstacheit von Einzbern, Master Alchemist and Eighth Head of the von Einzbern Family, the so-called Old Magus King of Castle von Einzbern. His true nature however, hidden from all outsiders on pain of death, was Golem Jubstacheit, a humanoid construct that embodied the ancient AI constructed to oversee the reclamation of the lost Third Magic.

"Flame Element: Immolation."

"You're trying too hard."

As the target went up, Rei glanced over a shoulder at her sister. Illya was sitting on a bench, her legs idly swinging back and forth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei asked.

"Precisely what I said." Illya replied. "You're trying too hard. Don't force the mystery, let it happen. That's the whole reason it's called a mystery to begin with."

"That's easy for you to say." Rei said. "I don't have the Sorcery Trait Wish Granting, sister. I can't bypass arias like you can."

"Yes you can." Illya said with a mischievous smirk. "They're called single-action spells, Rei. And that's what we're here to do, aren't we? To turn those single-count spells of yours into single-action spells, while keeping their power."

"It's easier said than done."

Illya shrugged. "Yes," she said, dragging the word out. "But from what I can see the concepts and principles behind the mysteries are solid enough as they are. I think we can make the first step to compressing them down to a single-action spell today."

Rei blinked as Illya got to her feet, the little girl crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes in thought. For a minute she just stood there, and then to Rei's stupefaction started to dance.

"What are you doing?" Rei asked with a twitching eye, as Illya performed a _ronde de jambe_ , followed by a _chasse_ and a _pas de chat_ , two more _chasses,_ and finishing with a _grand jete_.

"Thinking," Illya replied, keeping her eyes closed made a series of quick _fouettes_ , before spiraling to a halt facing her sister and snapping her fingers in realization. "I've got it! Rei turn yourself off."

"What?"

"You know," Illya said impatiently. "That bit when you're going to kill people, when you say you turn off your feelings and you're not Rei, but Rei at the same time."

"Okay," Rei said, looking and sounding more than a bit confused. "How is going into Assassin Mode supposed to help though?"

Illya impatiently made a throwing gesture at Rei. "Just do it!" she said. Rei sighed, and nodded before closing her eyes. A subtle shift came over her face and bearing, and when she opened her eyes, they were cold, soulless, the kind of eyes you'd see on someone who'd order an entire city bombed to ash and then coldly note down the number of people killed as mere statistics.

"Good," Illya said, her blood-red eyes alive with anticipation. She gestured at the target on the other side of the range. "Now, try again."

Rei nodded, and turned towards the target. She held up her hands, and began to cast her spell. "Flame…" she began only to be cut off by Illya.

"No words!" Illya shouted. "Actualize it as a single-action spell, not a single-count one!"

Rei turned back to her. "But…" she began only to be cut off again.

"I told you already!" she said. "Your concepts and principles are solid enough as they are! It'll work, trust me. Now, do it! Don't even think about it, just do it!"

Rei, even in her current state, looked skeptical, and Illya sighed. "Belief is an important part of magecraft, remember?" she said. "Even if you had a thousand A double-plus magic circuits, all five elements, and the Blue-blooded Magic Circuits Sorcery Trait, if you don't believe it'll work, then it'll never work! And informed faith is the strongest! And you already have the information, now believe in it!"

"I understand." Rei said, turning back to the target. She raised her hands.

"One last piece of advice," Illya said. "You are not swinging a sword or bringing down a hammer. You are drawing back an arrow and letting it fly. Now, let it go."

Rei nodded, after a moment, prana flared and without a single word, Flame Element: Immolation sprang to life, a jet of fire streaking out to reduce a target to ash and smoldering embers. "See?" Illya said with a giggle. "You could do it after all."

Rei – having turned herself back on – gaped at the sight. "I did that?" she asked. "Without an aria?"

"Yes, you did." Illya said with a giggle. She then frowned though. "Though, you used too much prana for a single-action spell, but seeing as we just finished compressing the mystery it's not something to feel bad about I guess."

Rei whistled and held up a hand. "You think we can do the same to Time Alter?" she said with an excited grin.

"Eh," Illya fumbled, scratching her head. "I'm not sure, but for now let's focus on the smaller things. Elemental Magecraft is fairly basic after all, no matter how versatile it might be. Time Alter is much more complex. Papa had to have been an amateur genius to come up with something like that, turning your body into a reality marble."

Illya sighed, and gestured at the replaced target. "Anyway I'll think about it." She said. "Keep practicing, as I said that last try cost too much prana for a single-action spell."

Rei nodded. "Okay," she said. She turned back to the target, and help up her hands. The sisters stayed silent as Rei silently fired off another jet of fire, though Rei spoke up as the servants replaced the target. "Thanks for the help, sister. That advice about the arrow was especially helpful."

Illya smiled and shrugged. "You're welcome." She said. "And besides, that's what older sisters are for, aren't they?"

"Yes!" Rei said with a smile, and sent yet another jet of fire flying.

* * *

"Miss Emiya," Anastasia said, arriving with a silver tray on top of which was a folder. "A job request was forwarded just now."

Rei glanced at the homunculus, she and her sister having lunch at a small room right next to the training hall they'd spent the morning in, working on Rei's magecraft and burning targets down. It was a light lunch, just some warm _blutwurst_ and black bread with water for Rei and fruit juice for Illya.

"A request?" Rei echoed. "Well there's a first, I usually have to go out and pick which bounty head I have to go after."

"Congratulations." Anastasia said laconically.

"Congratulations!" Illya also said, though much more enthusiastically. "Looks like you've finally gained enough of a reputation people are going to you to kill people for them."

"Not really sure if that's a good thing, but that's my job I guess." Rei said with a sigh, biting into her bread somewhat savagely.

Technically with all the jobs she'd been taking for the past two years Rei should have been a millionaire, but she also had bills to pay so to speak. For one thing, she owed her family an annual tithe, which wasn't an inconsiderate amount by any stretch of the imagination.

Second, she had to purchase all her weapons, ammunition, and other equipment, with the ones she started out with being obtained via a loan from her family. Said loan had already been settled, though it was by no means an inconsiderate amount either.

Third, she had to pay for all travel fares. Ground travel wasn't that expensive, but air and sea travel were. And there were other financial requirements to be met on a job: bribes, accommodations, supplies, etc. All in all, not an inconsiderate amount either.

Room and board at Castle von Einzbern was free though. Magical supplies that couldn't be replenished by the family's cottage industries were not, though seeing as Rei hardly if ever needed any of those, that was one expense she could consider as inconsiderate.

And of course, there were personal expenses which she had to pay out of her own pocket even since she'd 'gotten' her job.

"So what's the job Anastasia?" she asked.

"Initially investigative work in Spain." Anastasia replied.

"Investigative?" Rei echoed skeptically. "I'm not a detective you know, or even a researcher for that matter. I'm an assassin, bounty hunter, even terrorist bomber at times."

"Yes," Anastasia replied. "But the request is for your assistance in providing assistance in the event of unexpected complications. Investigation, and regular security will be provided by Enforcers accompanying the investigators."

The homunculus held out the tray and folder. "The details are included in the printed request." She said.

Rei took the offered folder and lightly skimmed through it. After several moments she smiled wryly and handed the folder to Illya who began to read through it. "I blow up a cruise ship with a pseudo-vampire aboard a few months ago," Rei began. "And now I'm suddenly an expert in 'unorthodox solutions'. The case looks genuine enough, but I can't help but wonder if my assistance was requested not only because it _might_ prove useful, but also to see if I can live up to father's reputation."

"Then they're not going to be disappointed." Illya said, putting the folder down on the table between them. "While you don't have papa's experience, you do have his skills."

Neither Rei nor Anastasia said anything, but after a moment Illya continued. "With that said," she said. "You should be careful. Plenty of people hated papa, and not without reason. How many people did papa kill after all? Even if they were trash who deserved to die, even trash has family. It's not really surprising that they hate papa for killing their family, and since papa is dead, it's only natural they make us – his children – the focus of their revenge in his place."

Rei didn't answer at once, and then blinking, her eyes turned soulless. "If anyone dares touch so much as a hair on your head," she said softly, but with eyes burning with cold fire. "I'll make them suffer for it. I'll make them feel as much pain as trash can possibly feel. I'll kill them more cruelly than anyone has ever killed anyone before!"

Illya smiled and took Rei's hand across the table, the touch causing Rei to blink and return to her 'normal' self. "I'm glad to hear you care so much." She said gently. "But don't let it get to you."

"It's only right to care for family, isn't it?" Rei asked softly.

"Yes it is." Illya said, her smile fading. "But remember, what I was born to do. What you were saved to do."

Rei was silent for several moments, and then she sighed. "The Key and the Traveler?" she whispered, and closed her eyes. "I know that, but even so…"

She trailed off, and Illya squeezed Rei's hands. "Some things can't be changed." She said. "The only thing we can do, is make the best of them."

"Illya…"

Illya smiled. "I don't mind dying." She said. "Because I know you won't let it be for nothing."

Rei didn't say anything, and only wiped at her eyes.

* * *

"Is it really alright?" an attendant asked the Einbern family head while pouring tea. He set the teacup on a saucer and handed it to Jubstacheit who took it with a nod of acknowledgement. "The Association or certain elements therein are all but certainly trying to measure her abilities with this request."

"The Association would have tried to do so sooner or later." Jubstacheit replied dismissively. "It was inevitable."

"And if her father's enemies take the opportunity?" the attendant asked. "Trash will be trash, but there is trash, and there is _trash_."

"Then she must dispose of them as trash is meant to disposed of." Jubstacheit replied. "It is as simple as that, and the same goes for that suspected cult in Spain. If she cannot handle them, then she is of no use. In any case, of the siblings only Illyasviel is truly indispensable for our goals."

"But, all the effort and resources put into her…"

Jubstacheit nodded, and took a sip of his tea. "With everything that's gone into her," she said. "It's an academic concern. With that said though…"

Jubstacheit paused and narrowed his eyes. "Assuming Rei accepts," he continued. "Make sure to have one of our legal specialists take a look over it. How Rei handles operational matters is up to her discretion, but it becomes ours when treachery could be used to preemptively shift the field in the opponent's favor."

The attendant bowed. "It will be done my lord." He said. "But, will we allow Rei to reject the request?"

"If that is her wish, then so be it." Jubstacheit replied. "She is under no obligation to accept any and all requests that come her way. She is free to determine which requests and opportunities to accept."

Jubstacheit paused and smiled coldly. "But," he said. "I do not think she will reject this request. She has the skills yes, but not the experience, and she knows this. And she'll take any opportunity she can get to correct such a weakness."

Jubstacheit paused again and glanced at his attendant. "When the time comes," he said. "In a few decades, be it Tohsaka or Makiri or any other would-be usurper, none can stand against her."

The attendant took the liberty of smiling a cold, vicious smile. "As you say my lord," he said. "Trash will be disposed of as trash is meant to be disposed of."

* * *

"Hey, how you doing?"

Rei blinked, turning to look her head in Illya's direction. Rei had spent the afternoon perusing the forwarded information about the suspect activities in Spain, while Illya had gone to attend a routine alchemical checkup and adjustment of her body.

By now though, evening had fallen, and the siblings were in their shared suite. Rei was sitting in a well-cushioned armchair in the living room, cleaning a disassembled Glock 17 handgun. "Hmm?" Rei hummed. "Oh I'm fine, why?"

"Nothing really," Illya said. "About that job request from earlier."

"I'll accept it." Rei said, turning back to her gun. "But grandfather wanted to clear up the legalities first. Apparently he doesn't trust the Association people too much."

"That's not surprising." Rei said with a laugh. "That place is a viper's nest."

Illya and Rei shared a laugh, and then Illya walked closer, her hands held behind her waist. Leaning forward, she looked down over Rei's shoulder. "Cleaning your gun, eh?" she asked.

"Yeah, you have to keep it clean." Rei said absent-mindedly. "If it gets dirty, it could jam or worse."

Illya hummed tonelessly in response, and then after a moment she grinned and grabbed Rei by the arm. "Hey, what's the big idea?" Rei protested, holding onto the other armrest, dropping her rag and the Glock parts on the table.

"Come with me!"

"But I…!"

"Come on, I want to show you something!"

Grumbling incoherently, Rei assented to her older sister, and let herself be dragged off to one of their suite's balconies. "So," Illya began, prancing over to stand next to a polished brass telescope. "How well do you know your astronomy?"

"Enough that I can use it to find my way with a map."

"I see." Illya said with exaggerated nods. "Well, I only know the most general astronomy, and well, do you mind helping me out?"

Rei glanced quizzically at Illya, who just smiled at her. For a few moments Rei was puzzled, as Illya was supposed to have the memories of all the previous generations of the homunculi built on Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern's template. And at the very least, even if the others weren't, Justeaze should have been proficient in astronomy.

And then Rei realized, that even if that was case, _Illya_ herself wasn't. And she wanted Rei's help to fix that.

Or maybe she already knew, but just wanted to distract Rei from the less-cheerful turns of the events of the day.

Rei smiled, and nodded. "Alright," she said, approaching the telescope and sitting down on a stool beside Illya. The balcony faced north, and it took only a moment for Rei to find the North Star, and aligning the telescope first by dead reckoning and then with minute adjustments with an eye pressed against the eyepiece, Rei withdrew, and gestured for Illya to take her place. "Can you see?"

"Yes," Illya said, an eye pressed against the telescope's eyepiece. "It's a bright, somewhat yellow star. What is it?"

"Polaris," Rei replied. "The North Star, on a straight line with Earth's axis above the North Pole. It's motionless, or it appears that way, which is why it's the primary constant when you need to use the stars to navigate with. If you can find it, then you'll know you're facing north."

"Yes I understand."

Rei took a glance around the sky, and sighed. "Unfortunately Leo's already set, but if you look over there," she said, gently guiding the telescope and her sister. "Over there though you can see the Big Dipper."

"I can't see it."

"Here," Rei said, adjusting the telescope again. "Don't forget though, it's a constellation, so it's more than one star."

"Oh yeah," Illya said with a giggle, keeping her eye on the telescope while following Rei's direction. "I see it. One, two, three…"

"And over here," Rei said once Illya had found all the stars, pulling back with a smile. Rei smiled back, guiding the telescope to another direction. "We have the Little Dipper. It's a constellation again."

"I know." Illya said, pressing her eyes against the telescope. "I think, yeah, I've got it. There's one, two, three, four…"

Steps behind them drew Rei's attention, but a raised hand silenced Sella and Anastasia alike. "Unfortunately," Rei said as Illya pulled back from the telescope again. "It's too cloudy tonight, so we can't see Draco, the Dragon. It's between the Big and Little Dippers, but it's a faint constellation. Here, let me see…"

Rei trailed off, putting an eye against the telescope. After several moments, she pulled back with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Illya," she said. "We can't see Draco tonight."

"You can't have everything I guess." She said.

"True," Rei said with a laugh before pointing to the east. "But over here though,"

She paused while guiding the telescope, a hand on the scope and an eye on the eyepiece. "There," she said, pulling back and gesturing for Illya to look. "It's Vega."

"Wow," Illya said. "It's so bright!"

"It is, isn't it?" Rei agreed. She then fiddled with the magnification settings, causing Illya to pull back.

"What are you doing?" she asked, and Rei grinned.

"Take a look." She replied, and Illya complied and gasped.

"Wow," she said. "Is that?"

"Yes," Rei said. "It's the constellation Lyra, the Lyre."

"It's so small."

"Or so far," Rei corrected, and Illya giggled.

"True."

After another moment, Rei gently began to guide the telescope to the northeast, and Illya gasped again as her eye caught another bright star. "What's that?" she asked.

"It's Deneb." Rei replied, and pulled Illya back before pointing at the sky. "It's a big constellation Deneb's part of. Here,"

Rei fell silent, using a finger to draw out the constellation's outline, Illya squinting as she pinpointed the stars. "Cygnus," she whispered. "The Swan?"

"Yup," Rei said, glancing at her sister who glanced back at her with a smile. "Also known as the?"

"Northern Cross!" Illya finished, the two sisters sharing a laugh.

"And over there," Rei said, pointing further to the northeast. "There's Hercules."

"Heracles." Illya corrected absent-mindedly. "Hercules is the Roman name."

Rei didn't know what was so funny about that, but she giggled. Illya pouted, and then blinked as Rei got up. "Rei?" she asked.

"If you want, I'll show you more constellations after dinner." She said. "But first,"

She paused to glance at the three homunculi standing some distance behind them. "Dinner's getting cold." She said. "Shall we go?"

Illya nodded, and taking the lead walked back with Rei inside.

"Illya," Rei began, Illya looking back over a shoulder. "Thanks."

Illya blinked, and smiled. "No problem." She said. "I'm your big sister after all."

Rei smiled back, and briefly picking up speed stepped up beside Illya who took her hand and squeezed. "Sisters." She said happily.

"Sisters forever."

* * *

A/N

After over a year, update! Mostly fluff and some setup, though what I said in this chapter about the von Einzbern is not made up. It's canon. There was never a von Einzbern family. They're all homunculi or in Jubstacheit's case, an AI who uses humanoid golems as an avatar (he's the eighth golem to fulfill the role), carrying on ancient programming from the Third's students (who either eventually died or gave up) to reclaim the Third Magic no matter what.

No one outside the family or their retainers (they have at least one vassal family IIRC) knows this, though Zelretch probably knows, and maybe the Association Director (who ironically predates the Association and is suspected to not even be Human). Castle von Einzbern was always a homunculus factory, the homunculi simply used their own factory as their home, and turned their hallmark into a family name to keep greedy, uncivilized magi from poking around and ruining things. Which isn't that unreasonable a worry: let's face it, there's a good chance that magi would never accept artificial Humans as equals, and tried to loot and pillage the castle.

Though, they're not purely biological machines. They're AIs, Jubstacheit and his creations, and AI have the ability to evolve, though most don't get the chance or need to. Canonically, two von Einzbern AIs did evolve to achieve a Human-like state of being: Jubstacheit, who committed suicide after the fifth war by shutting down in the face of absolute and utter failure, and Iri, who fell in love with Kiri, both of which should have been impossible if they were simply biological machines lacking the ability to evolve beyond their baseline programming.


End file.
